Pocket-knife



(Model)- G'. W. DUBOIS.

. POCKET KNiFB. No. 280,150. Patented June 26,1883;

WITNESSES: INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS. Phmoumn n ber, washin mn. D4 6.

4 UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIGE.

GEORGE NV. DU BOIS, OF WVILMINGTON, DELAVARE.

POCKET-KNIFE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 280,150, dated June 26,1883.

Application filed December 16,1882. (ModeL) To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that I, GEORGE W. DU BOIS, of Wilmington, in the county ofNew Castle and State of Delaware, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements lII POOkGt and other Knives, ,of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to knives having one or more pivoted blades whichclose into the handle of the knife, the same including penknives,clasp-knives, and pocket-knives of various kinds. 4

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 represents a face view of a onebladed knife with a blade-lifterapplied, and representing the whole as closed. Fig. 2 represents a sideview of the same with the bladelifter as engaged with the blade and aswhen used in the actof lifting it; also showing by dotted lines saidlifter, which is here repre sented as also forming a nail-cleaner, asclosed within the handle and as extended for separate use.

Ain the drawings indicates the handle of a one-bladed pocket-knife,which handle may be made with an interior metallic boxing in the usualor any suitable manner.

B is the blade, pivoted by a rivet, I), to the handle, and controlled,as usual, by a backspring, 0, also provided or formed with the ordinarynail-notch, d.

O is the pivoted blade-lifter, arranged to shut within the handle nearthe one side of the blade, and capable of being thrown up and back afterthe fashion of a pivoted blade. Said lifter, which should be made ofsteel, is formed with a lifting stud or projection, e, on its side nextto the blade and opposite the notch (1 when the blade and its lifter areclosed. It is also provided on its opposite side with a protruding knob,f, or any other suitable and blade B and said lifter O to be closed, thethumb is first pressed on the knob or lifting attachment f to spring thelifter laterally, so that its stud e engages with the notch d of theblade, and afterward the lifter, thus held pressed laterally inward,raised by the action of the thumb on the knob f to lift the blade B.Said blade-liftcrmay have its pivot to one side of the pivot of theblade, and only be used to lift the blade to a position where it will beheld half open by its spring 0, after which the blade may be workedfully open or back in the or- .dinary way; but it is preferred toarrange the rivet for both the blade and lifter pivots,

whereby the bladelifter will have the same radius, or work from the samecenter, as the blade, and may consequently be used to wholly open orthrow back the blade to its fullest extent. Furthermore, said pivotedblade-lifter may be fitted to work free or loose; but it is preferred tohave it controlled by a light backspring, g, similar to the control ofthe blade by the spring 0, as it will then open and close with a snap,and when fully thrown back or open will be held open by its spring forseparate use, if required, and when closed will be kept so. Such bladelifter C may be c011- structed or shaped, as shown in the drawings,

to also form a nail-cleaner; or it may be fashioned to form aglove-buttoner or any other appendage that will form a useful adjunct toa knife. The stud e on the blade-lifter it is desirable to make round.and blunt, whereby it may be utilized in connection with the forwardend of the handle of the knife as a guide, as a margin-scriber for note,letter, or other writing -paper. WVhere the knife has more than oneblade each of them may be provided with a similar lifter.

A blade lifter or opener applied to a knife, as described, will be foundexceedingly useful where the blade is a stiff one, especially by ladies,many of whom areunable to' lift the blades of a good knife with theirthumb or finger nails. The motion of operating said lifting device isalso such a natural and easy one that the lifter may be used in the darkas well as in the light; also, when the eyes are fastened upon a book orotherwise occupied,

and the mind differently employed, a simple and intuitive, as it were,motion of the thumb being all that is necessary.

It here should be observed that neither as regards its purpose orconstruction is my invention to be confounded with a cam, lever, andspindle device used in combination with a permanently-pivoted blade orblades and bladespring, for removing at will the tension of theblade-spring from the blade. The invention also equally differs from acombination of the two halves of a knife-handle and blade with a pivotedshoulder and catch, and a locking-rod, whereby the knife cannot beopened until the rod has been withdrawn from the catch and the catchturned half round.

If desired, a separate blade-spring may be dispensed with, and thespring 9 bemade sufficiently strong and be suitably constructed tocontrol both the blade-lifter and the blade or blades. In fact, thelifter, which is a positive and mechanical one, does not necessarily require any change in the general construction of the knife, andmay-beapplied to any knife at a mere trifling expense.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination, with a knife-handle and a pivoted blade having anail-noteh, of 0 GEO. NV. DU BOIS.

lVitnesses:

A. GREGORY, O. Snnowren.

